The Claim: Remove a Tick From Your Skin by Burning It

NY Times ^ | July 5, 2005 | ANAHAD O'CONNOR

[neverdem]

THE FACTS Ever notice a tiny speck on your skin and then discover that what looked like a piece of dirt was actually a tick? For most people, that moment is about the only time exposing an arm or a leg to an open flame can seem like a good idea.

[neverdem]

The last line was omitted.

[neverdem]

FReepmail me if you want on or off my health and science ping list.

On Saturn, a Spacecraft Is Finding New Worlds

[ncountylee]

Allegory....Clearing the way for Clinton.

[pax_et_bonum]

Using tweezers, grasp the head, not the body, of the tick and turn it counter-clockwise until it comes out.

This really works and leaves none of the tick in the skin.

Don't ask me how I know.

:-)

[jwalburg]

Tweezers. Straight out.

[dc-zoo]

Heck us south texas boys have know that for years.

[Ditter]

I thought you painted over them with clear nailpolish and smothered them.

[passionfruit]

We have a ranch in the San Bernardino mountains of Southern California. Ticks and rattlesnakes are common. When we get a tick, we do what our doctor told us to do. Spray it with insect repellent and wait for about 5 minutes for it to relax it's grasp. Then use tick pullers, not tweezers to pull it out. A tick puller looks similar to a scissors like nail nipper, but when closed has a tiny gap, so you can pull on the tick without cutting off the head. If the head does pull off I go for my best tweezers then, and pull the head out. When we get a rattlesnake, we use a glock 9mm on it. Works great every time.

[passionfruit]

The touble with tweezers is that you can squeeze the tick's stomach contents into your bloodstream. Get yourself some tick pullers.

[djf]

My old man used to smoke them Pall Mall straights.

Hell, as an adult smoker now with alot of years, I can't even hack one of those babies!

Any time any of the mutts came home with a tick, it would soon learn that smokin was hazardous to his health!

They let go REAL quick!

[martin_fierro]

We just had the bouncers throw him out.

[patriciaruth]

And if a cockroach crawls in your ear while you are sleeping...

something I learned while practicing in L.A.

squirt some lidocaine into the ear to relax the cockroach, and then rinse it out before it wakes up enough to hold on.

[ArmedNReady]

"When we get a rattlesnake, we use a glock 9mm on it."

I've always used my hands for removing a rattlesnake when it is biting me. Then I don't need to be treated for a snakebite AND a gunshot wound.

[martin_fierro]

Memo to self: Next time, DO NOT use the 9mm Glock on the tick!

[malia]

Back in the days before match books were so popular there were wooden matches, burn it hot, blow it out and touch the tick with the hot match ---- you could watch it wiggle out ---- or turpintine ---- or clear nailpolish! Oh, those good ol' days

[Man50D]

My father used a cigarette to remove a tick from the back of my neck when I was a kid. I had several skin graphs since then and the tick lived a long happy life (just kidding). The cigarette worked like a charm. I suspect if a parent tried that today PETA and the state DCF department would be all over him or her.

[Firefigher NC]

I take the tweezers and pull out a small chunk of skin under the tick's mouth, ensures that all of it comes out and I don't squeeze the tick's insides into my system.

[Capn TrVth]

Hmmm Ticks, roaches, venomous snakes, I've heard of these creatures before and have seen pictures of them as well.

We don't allow any of that nonesense up here in Maine, but we got some huge big cheese-eating meeces ;>

[Firefigher NC]

I'll take rattlesnakes over the bitter cold anyday!

[Capn TrVth]

I'll take rattlesnakes over the bitter cold anyday!

Ayuh! The cold weather is what keeps all the riff raff OUT!!!

LOL!!! ;>